Building construction



Nov. 7, 1939. R MCLAUGHLIN JR 7 2,178,762

BUILDING GONSTRUGTI ON Filed May 15, 1937 IN ENTOR.

TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Application May 15, 1937, Serial No. 142,814

6 Claims.

This invention relates to building construction and more especially to construction units for prefabricated buildings.

In general it is an object of the invention to 8 provide a device of the character described which will efliciently perform the purposes for which it is intended, which is simple and economical of construction, which can be expeditiously, conveniently and safely manipulated, and which can be readily manufactured and assembled.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a wall construction which may be completed by the addition of large compound units; which will be strengthened by the addition of such units; which is completed by detachably attaching the final units, for example, by merely sliding them on, and which is strengthened by such a detachable unit, and which does away with unnecessary interconnecting members but which presents a final product which has suitable inherent strength and presents an attractive appearance.

Another object is to provide a wall construction such that large portions of the wall may be prefabricated with a minimum of assembling to be done at the side.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a construction unit comprising wall closure means, such for example as a plywood panel or an assemblage of clapboards having rigidly affixed to one'face thereof a plurality of metallic keying elements so spaced and positioned that the structural unit is adapted to be slidably positioned with the keying elements engaging a plurality of suitable stud elements, and with the wall closure means comprising the outer surface or wall of the building.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view with a part cut away of a portion of a building construction embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a structural unit comprising a plurality of keying members affixed to one surface of wall closing means; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a detail of Fig. l with parts broken away.

In my copending application Serial No. 102,451, filed September 25, 1936, there is disclosed a structural unit for use in prefabricated house construction comprising a panel element having aiiixed to one surface thereof and along opposite edges thereof metallic stud or joist elements. These stud or joist elements are roughly U- shaped, each having a surface in contact with the panel element and a surface parallel thereto and spaced therefrom and adapted to engage wall closure means. The stud or joist elements are also shaped to internest with adjacent elements of adjacent structural units.

When structural units of the type disclosed in my said copending application are assembled to form a wall, for example, the free ends of adjacent stud elements may be keyed together by, for example, slidably afiixing to said free ends a suitable locking or keying member. The present invention contemplates a building construction, and more specifically a building construction unit comprising a plurality of such keying members rigidly mounted or ailixed to wall closure means so that when the plurality of keying members are positioned to interlock adjacent stud or joist elements of the structural units forming, for example, the wall, the wall closure means affixed to the keying elements will serve not only to provide, if desired, a finished surface to the Wall of the building, but will also act to brace and strengthen the entire structure.

The construction hereinafter set forth, while intended primarily as adapted for use in the provision of wall closure means and in the construction of building walls generally, is suitable for wall, floor, ceiling, roofing or partition structure.

It should also be understood that while the wall closure means aflixed to the keying elements are here shown as clapboards, such for example as ship lap, or as a plywood panel, it is understood that other elements may if desired be employed to citest the wall closure,'and it is also to be understood that shingles or other suitable material may if desired be applied over the outside of the clapboards' or plywood paneling disclosed.

It is also to be understood that while the stud and panel assembly disclosed in my said copending application is a preferred form of basic wall structure for use with the building units of the present invention, these units may be used with any suitable type of wall construction where 00- operating stud elements are provided.

In the drawing, the wall-forming structural units of the type disclosed in my said copending application Serial No. 102,451 are illustrated by the stud members [9 and I2 spaced from each other in each structural unit and secured to a panel element Hi. The panel element may be adapted to form the inside surface of the wall. The elements [0, l4 and I2 of each structural unit form a trough-like unit. In Fig. 1, three such complete units are shown assembled with the stud element Ill of one unit in nested engagement with the stud element l2 of an adjacent unit. The panel elements M may be riveted to the studs l0 and I2 if desired, or may be afiixed in any other suitable manner. Each stud element may be provided with a flange l6 spaced from and expenting parallel to the panel elements M. The flanges l6 of adjacent stud elements in and I2 are adapted to provide key-engaging means and may if desired provide a fiat surface for contact with the inner portion of a keying and interlocking element.

The wall closure and bracing unit of the present invention may comprise a plurality of clapboards, such as the ship lap l8, or a plywood panel element, such as that shown at [9, having permanently affixed thereto and against the inner face thereof by means of rivets or screws 20 or the like, a plurality of key elements 22. These key elements, as shown for example in Fig. 3, may be described as generally flatly tubular with a wide-open slot extending lengthwise thereon. They are so shaped and positioned that a wall closure unit comprising the elements I8 or [9 and the key elements 22 may be affixed to the wall-forming units by sliding the key elements down over the flanges IE of a plurality of adjacent stud elements, as shown for example in Fig. 1.

Suitable bracing units, such for example as metallic strips 24 or rods 25, may be affixed to successive key elements and may be diagonally positioned so as to provide suitable bracing means for the structural wall closure unit. The bracing elements 24, 25 may be butt-welded to the curved edge of the key elements 22, as shown for example at 26, or they may be lap-welded to a flat surface of the key elements, as shown for example at 28, or afllxed to the key elements in any other suitable manner.

The wall closure units have preferably a surface area such that they may be conveniently handled by one or two workmen. Where the vertical stud elements of the building construction are three feet apart, a wall closure unit with a nine-foot width and about three feet in height has been found satisfactory. It is to be understood that narrower, smaller units may be employed, if desired, or that where very light materials are used somewhat larger units may be employed, the size here given being illustrative mere- Units of the type described may be employed satisfactorily in prefabricated house construction to provide the outer wall surface of the building, and if desired to provide partitions, ceilings, and roof-forming elements of the structure. The units are quickly and easily applied to the building and require no especially trained labor. They may be easily removed if changes in the building structure are intended. They provide strong horizontal and diagonal bracing of the stud elements, and hence impart structural strength to the wall or other portion of the'building in which they are used, in addition to providing closure coverage therefor.

With a construction of the type here described and claimed, it is desirable that window and door units be of substantially the same width as the spacing between adjacent stud assemblies or multiples of that width. It is understood that it may be desirable to provide special panel elements extending the full height of the wall where windows or doors are employed, so that structural units of the type here described may be made of standard size and shipped from the place of manufacture to the place of assembly of the house.

The device described herein may be used in prefabricated houses and preferably in that type of prefabricated house in which there are no very large, uninterrupted wall areas. At each end of the device shown there may be either a door, a window, or a corner construction which latter seat directly against the device as shown.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 7

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A building construction comprising a plurality of studs, a plurality of stud-engaging key elements, wall closure means rigidly affixed to said key elements and adapted to formtherewith a substantially rigid assembly for interlocking adjacent stud elements and providing wall closure means for the spaces between others of said stud elements, and metallic bracing members affixed to and extending between adjacent key elements.

2. In a building, in combination, a plurality of stud elements, key elements adapted to engage said stud elements, a plurality of wall closure units, each of said units being aifixed to a plurality of said key elements, said wall closure units being positioned to form a wall closure assembly of larger area than any of said units, and bracing members extending from and affixed to adjacent key elements, said wall closure units and said bracing members forming with said key ele ments a rigid structural assembly unit.

3. A building construction unit comprising, in combination, a wall closure panel, a plurality of substantially parallel metallic key elements affixed to said panel on one surface thereof, said panel being adapted to form the outer wall of a building, and metallic bracing members affixed to and extending between adjacent key elements.

4. A building construction unit comprising a wall closure panel having riveted to one surface thereof a plurality of metallic key elements, each of said key elements having a substantially flat panel-engaging portion with a U-shaped portion at either end thereof, said U-shaped portions being spaced from each other and being adapted to engage flanges on adjacent stud elements.

5. A building construction unit comprising a wall closure panel having riveted to one surface thereof a plurality of metallic key elements, each of said key elements having a substantially flat panel-engaging portion with a U-shaped portion at either end thereof, said U-shaped portions being spaced from each other and being adapted to engage flanges on adjacent stud elements, and metallic bracing means extending between adjacent key elements and afiixed to the U-shaped portions thereon.

6. A building construction comprising a plurality of trough-shaped units, each formed of a wall panel with studs along opposite edges rem spectively, said units being aligned with respective panels aligned and with studs of adjacent panels internested, a wall element extending along what would otherwise be the open sides of said trough-shaped units, and interlocking elements secured to the inner side of the wall element each of which interlocks and binds together two internested studs whereby said trough-shaped units are held together as a self-supporting, wall construction. 7

ROBERT W. McLAUGI-ILIN, JR. 

